Kenneth Rijock

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

FERNANDO MENDES HAD A MAJOR ROLE IN MONEY LAUNDERING WITH THE CAYMAN GANG OF FOUR

Although both Mendes, and Gang of Four ringleader Sharon Lexa Lamb, both claimed that his position, at B & C Capital, Ltd., and Bateman and Company, was that of a low-level employee, the documents uncovered thus far, in the investigation of the $450m theft of investor money, prove that Fernando Moto Mendes had the preeminent role in laundering the stolen capital in the Cayman Islands. Mendes is the only member of the Cayman Gang of Four who has not fled the jurisdiction, most likely because he no longer has a valid passport from his native Portugal.

As the accompanying documents show, Mendes acted, and, upon information and belief, continues to act, as the "General Manager" of the Bateman group of shell companies. the documents prove that he acted in that position, and took possession of liquid assets stolen from Canadian & American investors, who thought that their money was safe in special accounts under their names, at Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited. Other sources state that Mendes openly held himself out to be the Managing Director of the companies of the Bateman Group. Ryan Bateman himself was a fugitive from justice at that time, and he remains a wanted man in the Cayman Islands. Mendes' signature is the only one on the documents.

The Dundee Merchant Bank document, which was prepared at the time that the bank was inactive, appears to have been prepared by, and signed by, Mendes. The transfers shown here, which state that the Bateman company was the beneficial owner, and which were prepared by Mendes, and not someone at Dundee Bank, resulted in the theft of hundreds of million dollars by the Cayman Gang of Four. Fernando Moto Mendes' actions, on their face, constitute fraud, money laundering, and breach of a fiduciary relationship. The ultimate transfers, by Mendes, of the funds, to several other countries, including the Bahamas and the United States, also exposes him to similar charges in those jurisdictions.